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Experiences · Desert & sand

Sand, rock and a night sky with nothing in the way.

From a quad on the desert edge near the pyramids to a night among the White Desert's chalk: choose how you want to move through the desert, and compare how long you spend doing it, what it asks of you and what we check first.

A sand dune near 'Areg in the Siwa depression, on the edge of the Great Sand Sea.

What do you want to do, and where are you staying?

What to do
EverythingQuad & ATV4×4 & dunesHiking & climbsCamps & night sky
Starting from
AnywhereHurghadaSharm El SheikhDahabSt CatherineGizaSaqqaraBahariyaSiwa

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Starting prices are the lowest to expect; times are our planning estimates. Every detail is confirmed before anything is arranged.

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Comparison of Sunrise on Mount Sinai, Saqqara by quad and dirt bike, A telescope night in the Eastern Desert
Sunrise on Mount Sinai RemoveSaqqara by quad and dirt bike RemoveA telescope night in the Eastern Desert Remove
Starting price
Starting priceUSD 65Per person on the small-group night climb.Your written quote confirms the price for your party, dates and choices.
Starting priceUSD 100Per person at the lowest group rate; solo travellers and couples pay more.Your written quote confirms the price for your party, dates and choices.
Starting priceUSD 30Per person on a shared evening.Your written quote confirms the price for your party, dates and choices.
Where it startsSt Catherine, from Sharm El Sheikh or DahabSaqqara, from Cairo or GizaHurghada
ActivityHiking & climbsQuad & ATVCamps & night sky
Skill or certificationA steady night climb; no technical skillNone; a briefing and practice come firstNone
Minimum ageTeenagers used to walkingSet by the operator; younger children ride as passengers where allowedAll ages; children need to stay up late
Time actually doing itAbout 2.5–3 hours up and 1.5 hours downAbout two to three hours of ridingAbout two hours under the sky
Total timeOvernight, about 14 hours from Sharm El SheikhAbout 5 hours with hotel transfersAbout 4 hours
Best seasonYear-round; the summit is freezing in winterYear-round; ride early or late in summerYear-round; best near the new Moon
What you seeSunrise over the Sinai mountains, then St Catherine's MonasteryOpen desert with the Step Pyramid of Djoser on the skylinePlanets, star clusters and the Milky Way through a telescope
What it asksA night without sleep and a steady climb at altitude, then the descent. It is cold on the summit in every season, and freezing in winter.Dust, heat, vibration and the balance to control a machine. Closed shoes, long trousers and eye protection matter. Not suitable where a medical condition, age or confidence makes control uncertain.Nothing but patience and a warm layer: desert nights are cold from November to March.
What we confirm first
  • A registered Bedouin guide for the climb
  • Warm layers, a torch and water; blankets can be hired near the top
  • The monastery's opening hours for your date, which change with religious holidays
  • The route to St Catherine, which stays outside the area the UK government advises against
  • The exact riding area and its permissions, outside the archaeological enclosures
  • A correctly fitting helmet, goggles, a briefing and practice time before the ride
  • Actual riding minutes, the leader-to-rider ratio and what happens if someone wants to stop
  • That tips are settled in advance, so nobody asks for one halfway through the desert
  • An astronomy guide and telescope, not only a campfire and binoculars
  • The Moon's phase and cloud forecast for your date
  • Supper, dietary needs and the return time
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  • 4×4 & dunes · Siwa

    The edge of the Great Sand Sea

    From Siwa into the dunes by four-wheel drive, a board down a slope, and dusk at a spring.

    Starting priceUSD 50
    Place
    Siwa Oasis
    Time
    Half day to sunset; most of an afternoon in the dunes
    Needs
    None; a strong stomach on the dunes. Tell us about children: the ride is rough.
    What we confirm before you go
    • A licensed local driver and a vehicle in sound condition
    • That the route lies within the areas the UK government's travel advice excepts: Siwa and the Marsa Matruh–Siwa road are named; the open desert beyond is not
    • Any desert permit needed for the route
    • Water, shade and a safe return time
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Tours

Desert tours and overnight trips

Guided days with transport and the arrangements taken care of, each on request.

Photography credits (3)

Ahmed Yousry Mahfouz, CC BY-SA 4.0; Ibrahim El-Mezayen, CC BY-SA 4.0; Bernd Out, CC BY-SA 3.0

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Not sure which desert & sand experience fits?

Tell us where you are staying, when, and who is coming. We reply with what fits, the price for your party and what we confirm first. Nothing is booked until you accept.

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Photography credits (8)

Berthold Werner, CC BY 3.0; Norhan Elmaghrabi, CC BY-SA 4.0; Egy2030, CC BY-SA 4.0; Sara Nabih, CC BY-SA 4.0; Fadyhesham0, CC BY-SA 3.0; Ahmed Yousry Mahfouz, CC BY-SA 4.0; Roland Unger, CC BY-SA 3.0; Mohamed kamal 1984, CC BY-SA 4.0